When people think of Baku, they usually picture the Flame Towers, the old town, or the Caspian Sea. But long before it became a modern travel spot, Baku was already famous around the world for something else that changed history: oil.

The Place That Changed Global Energy

Few people know that Azerbaijan laid the foundation of the modern oil industry. In 1846, in the small settlement of Bibi-Heybat near Baku, workers drilled the World's First Oil Well using mechanical methods. This happened years before the famous well in Pennsylvania, USA, which people wrongly believed was the true start of the oil industry for a long time.

The well was only about 21 meters deep — a small number by today's standards. But it marked the beginning of a new age: for the first time, oil could be produced in a planned, systematic way, not just collected by hand from the surface.

Oil on the Surface, Long Before Drilling

Even before industrial drilling started, people on the Absheron Peninsula knew about oil well. Persian, Arab, and European travelers wrote about places where black liquid came straight out of the ground, and about flames burning naturally from gas under the earth. Local people used this oil for light, and even for medicine.

These natural wonders are part of the reason Azerbaijan is still known as the "Land of Fire" today.

How One Well Changed a City

After the success of the well at Bibi-Heybat oil field, Baku started to grow fast. By the second half of the 19th century, business people and investors from all over the world came to the city — including the Nobel and Rothschild families, whose money helped turn a small Caspian town into one of the world's main oil centers. By the early 20th century, Baku was producing more than half of the world's oil.

Many of the beautiful old buildings in central Baku today were built during this oil boom. Guides often tell stories about Baku's oil millionaires while walking through the very streets they once built.

More Than Just Business

The oil of Baku mattered for more than the economy. During World War II, oil fields in Azerbaijan supplied a large part of the fuel used by the Soviet Union — making the region strategically important, and a target during the war.

Later, after Azerbaijan became independent, oil once again became a key part of the country's growth. The signing of the "Contract of the Century" in 1994 opened a new chapter and brought the country back onto the world energy map.

Why Add This to Your Trip

Today, Baku still keeps its oil history alive through museums, monuments, and old neighborhoods. For travelers who have already seen the main city sights and want something different, a first oil well Baku tour shows a side of the city most visitors never see — the exact spot where modern energy history began.

Many routes around the Absheron Peninsula include Bibi-Heybat along with other important sights. These trips are usually organized as a bus tour in Baku and the surrounding area, sometimes as part of a wider group tour Azerbaijan, combining nature and history in a single day.

You can see the World's First Oil Well on these routes:

Right now, you can buy tour with discount on any of these routes — check the booking page for the current price.